To the editor:

I’ve been watching this ridiculous, expensive waste of time waiting for common sense to prevail.

Apparently that’s not going to happen.

I’m referring to the Diking District 1 pump controversy.

Let me qualify my perspective, I served on the board of Useless Bay Golf & Country Club as a director for one term, (three years) and served on the Greens Committee for several more. In that capacity I was privy to the politics of the diking district, the county and UBG&CC.

I have lived in the Lone Lake drainage basin for almost 23 years, currently in Olympic Marine View above Sunlight Beach.

I am on the dike and at the retention pond and pump at least three days a week as part of my run.

My wife and I walk the beach and are very familiar with the area.

We are in favor of keeping Deer Lagoon and Useless Bay clean and healthy and are concerned about how the septic systems installed as part of the recent development could be affecting the ecosystem in Useless Bay.

I respect Steve Arnold, Ray Gabelein and Bob Kohlwes.

Thank you for your time and commitment to our community.

Your conduct and integrity is not in question from this quarter.

Serving on a board is often inconvenient and is a thankless job.

You gentlemen bring historical perspective, knowledge of the diking system, and knowledge of the geography and topography of the area.

Those are valuable assets.

The right permit was applied for, went through the approval process and was issued.

The new pump is an upgrade to a system that has been in place for years.

The old pump was always breaking down, couldn’t handle increasing volumes and was very expensive to maintain.

Both pumps run on a float.

When the water gets to a specific level the float switch turns the pump on and it pumps until the water level/float drops back to the predetermined, adjustable level.

The pump doesn’t run in the summer unless we get a big rain.

The modification to the existing system was needed due to the increased volume created by development in the Lone Lake drainage basin.

There has not been a change in the water level, just a more efficient and cost effective way of removing what flows into the ditches and retention pond from the drainage basin.

It is fresh water. Fresh water flows into Puget Sound from rivers and streams and into Deer Lagoon from the Diking District 1 pump.

The puddles and standing water on Sunlight Beach Road are not a Diking District issue. Island County issued the building and septic permits for the structures that replaced small, seasonal beach cabins. The drainage that existed before you built is now covered by septic systems, foundations and retaining walls.

If you want the standing water around your home addressed, take it up with the county.

I am at the point where I would like to see the pump shut down.

The people on Sunlight Beach that knocked down summer cabins to build million/multi-million dollar houses will scream and sue the county and diking district for negligence when their drain fields fail due to high water and their properties are condemned.

All it will take is a big snow, fast melt or big wind, high tide, hard rain storm like we get here every twenty years.

I am writing this because I am tired of the misinformation and character assassination campaign and seeing public money wasted.

A lot of people have been forced out of their homes down there due to the increases in property taxes created by the folks that have built what are obviously very expensive homes and now those that oppose the pump (in any form) don’t want to pay the freight for a capitol improvement that protects their property.

The litigation is wasteful and has the Army Corp of Engineers, the State Department of Ecology and the County walking on egg shells for good reason.

No one wants to be liable and everyone knows that to get caught up in this frivolous mess is expensive and time consuming.

Stop the hysteria, waste and nonsense.

Matthew Richards

Olympic Marine View